An official delegation from the European Parliament are in Egypt this week to participate in the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, taking place in Sharm el Sheik. The delegation is led by Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, NL), with Peter Liese (EPP, DE) as Vice-Chair.
The European Parliament adopted its position on COP27 on 20 October 2022. At the COP, MEPs will meet with ministers, parliamentarians, and other delegates from non-EU countries including USA, China, Canada, Turkey, Zimbabwe, Maldives, Bangladesh, Marshall Islands. They will also meet Dr Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC and Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, as well as civil society representatives.
“While climate change impacts become more visible each year, the world is still not on track to limit global warming to levels regarded as safe and agreed in Paris in 2015. In Glasgow we bought ourselves another year to be able to stay below 1.5 degrees. COP27 must ensure that this year doesn’t become a lost year. Talks on loss and damage is central at this African COP and will be key for the negotiations. The European Parliament would like to see a loss and damage facility established at this COP,” says by Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, NL), Chair of the delegation.
“The EU must continue to work on ambition and climate finance. The deal on LULUCF will enable us to increase EU climate targets. The compromise on international climate finance in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is an important signal to low- and middle-income countries. Commission Vice-President Timmermans must be much more active in explaining these important developments to the international community,” says Peter Liese (EPP, DE), Vice-Chair of the delegation.
Parliament is a co-legislator on the EU energy and climate legislation which seeks to implement the Paris Agreement, and before the EU can enter international agreements Parliament must give its consent.
Parliament has been pushing for more ambitious EU climate legislation and declared a climate emergency on 28 November 2019. In June 2021, Parliament adopted the European Climate Law, which transforms the European Green Deal’s political commitment to EU climate neutrality by 2050 into a binding obligation for the EU and member states. It also increases the EU’s target for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 40% to at least 55%, compared to 1990 levels.
Parliament is currently negotiating with member states on the “Fit for 55 in 2030 package” in order to enable the EU to reach the more ambitious 2030-target. A political agreement between Parliament and Council has already been made for stricter rules for member states’ greenhouse gas emissions, a zero-emissions target for new cars and vans in 2035 and on the land use, land use change and forestry sector (LULUCF). Negotiations are expected to be finalised on the other files in the coming months.
